Every person possesses a unique body odor which is continuously emitted in perspiration and skin secretions. Several areas of the body emit a higher concentration of body odor, such as the breasts of a lactating mother, the axillary or the groin as a result of the concentration of skin glands therein. Studies further indicate that infants recognize and favorably respond to the body odor of their mother by preferentially orienting towards odors from the breast or axillary region of their own mother in comparison with comparable odors from other lactating or non-lactating mothers. An infant's recognition of the familiar body odor of its mother may promote feelings of comfort and security, and facilitate breast feeding by orienting the infant's face towards the mother's breast and nipple. It is known that children sleep more soundly when holding a handkerchief scented with the mother's axillary odor.
Studies indicate that breast fed infants who are in close proximity to their mother's bare skin and axillary region for extended periods of time are more sensitive to their mother's unique body odor than bottle-fed infants who experience less skin to skin contact and, therefore, less exposure to their mother's body odor. Infants may be conditioned to respond favorably to specific scents other than their own mother's body odor by familiarization with direct exposure to the odor.
Chapter 24 of "Human Reproduction and the Mother-Infant Relationship" entitled "The Role of Odors" (appearing in Smell and Taste in Health and Disease, pp. 429-442) reports that a nursing baby after the passage of time learns to recognize their mother's scent on pads that have been worn against their mother's breast when positioned along the side of the baby's face such as by being suspended so as to be in proximity to the baby's face. Further, Chapter 24 reports studies that children can recognize the scent of their mother which has been captured by a worn T-shirt.
Further, Volume 13(2) of Chemical Senses, pages 145-190, entitled "Olfaction in Infants and Children: Developmental and Functional Perspectives" by Benoist Schaal, discusses a study with handkerchiefs worn near the axillae for 48 hours for the purpose of inducing sleep. However, the study did not report definitively if the odor of the handkerchief was responsible for improved sleeping.
While the prior art recognizes that the characteristic odor of a mother as absorbed by a pad worn directly on the body or on a T-shirt may stimulate the olfactory response of that mother's children, there is nothing in the prior art which recognizes that scent-impregnated clothing or pads may be used to promote bonding between an infant and persons such as a mother. Furthermore, there are no garments in the prior art which are designed to be comfortably worn by a person, such as a nursing mother, with or without odor absorbent pads attached to an inner side of the garment and that are attached to a garment support in proximity to an infant or young child for stimulating the olfactory senses of the infant or child to promote bonding.
The prevalent practice of mothers going back to work almost immediately after delivery of their babies interferes with the mother and baby having sufficient close skin contact right after delivery which permits the baby to learn of the mother's scent as part of the bonding process.
The literature is replete with studies regarding the olfactory senses of infants or young children. The following is a summary of the literature regarding olfactory sensing by infants or young children.
Macfarlane, A. (1975), "Olfaction in the development of social preferences in the human neonate." In Ciba Foundation Symposium, The human neonate in parent-infant interaction, Amsterdam: Associated Scientific Publishers. PA1 Russell, Michael J., "Human Olfactory Communication," Nature, pp. 520-522, vol. 260, 8 April 1976. PA1 Russell, Michael J., Terrie Mendelson and Harman V. S. Peek, "Mothers' Identification of Their Infant's Odors," Ethology and Sociobiology, pp 29-31, vol. 4, 1983. PA1 Porter, R. H., Cernoch, J. M. & McLaughlin, F. J. (1983), "Maternal recognition of neonates through olfactory cues", Physiology & Behavior, vol. 30, pp. 151-154. Cyrulnik 1982. PA1 Cyrulnik, 1982 Personal communication to Benoist Schaal, "Olfaction in infants and children: developmental and functional perspectives," Chemical Senses, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 145-190, 1988. PA1 Russell, Michael J., Terrie Mendelson and Harman V. S. Peeke, "Mothers' Identification of Their Infant's Odors," Ethology and Sociobiology, pp 29-31, vol. 4, 1983. PA1 Cernoch, Jennifer M. and Richard Porter, "Recognition and Maternal Axillary Odors by Infants," Child Development, pp. 1593-1598, vol. 56, 1985. PA1 Gallois, C., 1985 "Etude preliminaire du role des facteurs visuels, olfactifs et somestheques dans l'attractivite de l'ours en peluche pour le jeune enfant," Unpublished DEA report University of, Bersabson. PA1 Balogh, Rene D. and Richard Porter, "Olfactory Preferences Resulting from Mere Exposure in Human Neonates" Infant Behavior and Development, pp. 395-401, vol. 9, 1986. PA1 Porter, Richard H., Rene D. Balogh, Jennifer M. Cernoch and Christie Franchi, "Recognition of Kin Through Characteristic Body Odors," Chemical Senses, pp. 389-395., vol. 11(3), 1986. PA1 Schaal, Benoist, "Olfaction in Infants and Children: Developmental and Functional Perspectives," Chemical Senses, pp. 145-190, vol. 13(2), 1988. PA1 Lord, Thomas and Mary Kasprazak, "identification of Self Through Olfaction," Perceptual and Motor Skills, pp. 219-224, vol. 69, 1989. PA1 Schleidt, Margret and Carola Genzel, "The Significance of Mother's Perfume for Infants in the First Weeks of Their Life," Ethology and Sociobiology, pp 145-154, vol. 11, 1990. PA1 Schmidt, Hilary J. and Gary K. Beauchamp, "Adult-Like Odor Preferences and Aversions in Three-Year-Old Children", Child Development, pp 1136-1143, vol. 59, 1988. PA1 Sullivan, Regina M., Suzanne Taborsky-Barba, Raffael Mendoza, Alison Itano, Michael Leon, Cal W. Cotman, Terrence F. Payne and Ira Lott, "Olfactory Classical Conditioning in Neonates," Pediatrics, pp 511-518, vol. 87(4), April, 1991.